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Conceptual and Theoretical

  1. Linear – Film narratives are usually linear. That means we see the events of the story unfolding in the order in which they occurred.
  2. Chronological – Time order.
  3. Sequential – In film, a sequence is a series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit, which is usually connected either by a unity of location or a unity of time. The sequence is one of a hierarchy of structural units used to describe the structure of films in varying degrees of granularity.
  4. Circular structure – In a circular narrative, the story ends where it began. Although the starting and ending points are the same, the characters undergo a transformation, affected by the story’s events.
  5. Time based –
  6. Narrative arc –
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid – a paradigm of dramatic structure outlining the seven key steps in successful storytelling: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement.
  8. exposition –
  9. inciting incident –
  10. rising action –
  11. climax –
  12. falling action –
  13. resolution –
  14. denouement –
  15. Beginning / middle / end –
  16. Equilibrium –
  17. Disruption –
  18. New equilibrium –
  19. Peripeteia – Change in fortune.
  20. Anagnoresis – Dramatic Revelation.
  21. Catharsis – Good Virtue.
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place –
  23. flashback / flash forward –
  24. Foreshadowing –
  25. Ellipsis –
  26. Pathos –
  27. empathy –
  28. diegetic / non-diegetic –
  29. slow motion –
  30. genre –
  31. theme –

Synopsis

My film is going to be about a girl who has been shielded from the real world all her life. She has only been around her two parents and her auntie her whole life. She was never allowed to leave the house. Home schooled all her life and her parents controlled everything. They had conditioned her to believe that anything outside their home was a danger but obviously as a growing child, her curiosity grew also. The main character – the 17 year old girl – does look to escape her home as she wants to explore the outside world.

At age 10 her curiosity started to grow and she started to look more out the windows but all she ever did see were foggy skies as her house was so far up on a hill, secluded from any other civilisation. From 11, she started to notice strange deliveries during the night as she always seen a bright headlight shine through her window at exactly 1:30am. When she was younger she believed it was a star as that was what she was lead to believe.

This film will be targeting teenagers who may relate to some extent. Maybe not relate literally but can relate figuratively speaking. A viewer might feel trapped in their own life therefore would seek comfort through this film because it may or may not be a similar experience.

Examples

Todorov

Equilibrium, the story constructs a stable world at the outset of the narrative. Key characters are presented as part of that stability.

Disruption, Oppositional forces – the actions of a villain, perhaps, or some kind of calamity – destabilise the story’s equilibrium. Lead protagonists attempt to repair the disruption caused.

New Equilibrium, disruption is repaired and stability restored. Importantly, the equilibrium achieved at the end of the story is different to that outlined at the start. The world is transformed.

Freytags Pyramid

Exposition, Climax, Denouement

Vladimir Propp

Character Types and Function

Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story.

That is not to say that all characters are the same, but rather to suggest that all stories draw on familiar characters performing similar functions to provide familiar narrative structures.

Propp identifies the types of characters:

  • The hero: he identifies two significant types – the seeker-hero and the victim-hero.
  • The Villain: fights or pursues the hero and must be defeated in order for hero to accomplish their quest.
  • The Princess and Princess’ Father: princess usually represents the reward for the hero’s quest.

Claude Levi-Strauss (Binary Oppositions)

Seymour Chatman: Satellites & Kernels

  • Kernels: key moments in the plot / narrative structure
  • Satellites: embellishments, developments, aesthetics

Roland Barthes: Proairetic and Hermenuetic Codes

  • Proairetic code: action, movement, causation
  • Hermenuetic code: reflection, dialogue, character or thematic development
  • Enigma code: the way in which intrigue and ideas are raised – which encourage an audience to want more information.
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Moving image NEA

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Things needed to create a film:

  • Camera
  • Microphone
  • Actors
  • Set
  • Story
  • Script
  • Props
  • Sound
  • Lighting
  • Money
  • Directors
  • Producers
  • Post-production team
  • Camera operators

Aristotle:

  • Catharsis = Idea that we are freed by consuming something.
  • Peripeteia = A change in fortune
  • Anagnorisis = A moment of dramatic revelation

Narrative structures and internal elements :

  • Chronological – Generally, films are structured in a straight line, linear narrative in which the events are sequenced in order of time.
  • Flashbacks/ Foreshadowing
  • Ellipsis
  • Parallel Narrative
  • EXPOSITION —> CLIMAX —> DENOUEMENT
  • Protagonist and Antagonist

Todorov

  • the stage of equilibrium
  • the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium
  • the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
  • the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium
  • condensed equilibrium has a much lower boredom threshold so action is expected to be delivered quickly
  • anachronic devices are flashes forwards or backwards in time to help develop the story
  • multiperspective narratives show numerous character’s viewpoints during a time of disequilibrium
  • unreliable narration where the audience is deceived deliberately

Some Definitions:

Construction of reality: The way we present ourselves to other people is shaped partly by our interactions with others, as well as by our life experiences.

Repertoire of elements: When an audience consume a media text defined by a generic label they have certain expectations of the text.

Reinforced: Strengthened (existing feeling, idea or habit)

Historically specific: Historical people, situations, or things existed in the past and are considered to be a part of history.

Verisimilitude: The appearance of being true or real.

 Realism: The quality or fact of representing a person or thing in a way that is accurate and true to life.

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Peripeteia– a sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to fictional narrative.

Anagnoresis– the point in a play, novel, etc., in which a principal character recognizes or discovers another character’s true identity or the true nature of their own circumstances.

Catharsis– the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

practical and theory sides of moving film production

practical/toolstheory/concept
camerasperformance
actorsgeneral
setsevents
catererstheme
microphonesantagonist/protagonist
director sequential
screen play teamperipeteia
propsanagnoresis
writerscathasis
lightslinear
special effectstime based

some key parts of moving film-

  1. plot vs character
  2. arrangement of incidences (how do you arrange events in a story?)
  3. Aiming towards a goal
  4. complication and unravelling (peripeteia)
  5. Recognition (anagnoresis)
  6. Pathos (agony of recognition)
  7. Catharsis (knowledge through purge)

Freytags pyramid –

Chillers and Thrillers: Putting Freytag's Pyramid To Use In Charting Your Own (And Others') Stories

What is Freytag’s Pyramid? – Devised by 19th century German playwright Gustav Freytag, Freytag’s Pyramid is a paradigm of dramatic structure outlining the seven key steps in successful storytelling: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement.

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Moving Image NEA

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Practical Elements of producing a media product include:

  • Actors
  • Set
  • Props
  • Technicians
  • Post Production Teams
  • Equipment
  • Scriptwriters
  • Producers
  • Musicians

Conceptual Elements of producing a media product include:

  • Storyline
  • Performance
  • Emotions
  • Events
  • Characters
  • Themes
  • Protagonists/Antagonists
  • Linear/Cyclical Structure

Key Terminology

  1. Linear – A straightforward structure with a very smooth progression and a definitive beginning/middle/end.
  2. Chronological – An order where events pass in an order of time.
  3. Sequential – When a media product is following a logical order or sequence.
  4. Circular structure
  5. Time based
  6. Narrative arc
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid
  8. exposition,
  9. inciting incident,
  10. rising action,
  11. climax,
  12. falling action,
  13. resolution,
  14. denouement 
  15. Beginning / middle / end
  16. Equilibrium
  17. Disruption
  18. New Equilibrium
  19. Peripeteia – A drastic and sudden change in fortune.
  20. Anagnoresis – A sudden dramatic revelation, usually occurs within the protagonist.
  21. Catharsis – The idea that we as humans can feel and absorb emotions from consuming a piece of media.
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  23. flashback / flash forward
  24. Foreshadowing
  25. Ellipsis
  26. Pathos
  27. Empathy
  28. diegetic / non-diegetic
  29. slow motion

Peripeteia in Blinded by the Light – When the tickets are ripped up.

Anagnoresis in Blinded by the Light – When his father is badly hurt.

Catharsis in Blinded by the Light – At the end when Springsteen’s music is played by his father in the car.

My Film Synopsis

My film will be about a guy who plays a load of football, then gets an offer from a big professional club and goes on a wild adventure through the professional footballing world coming from humble beginnings.

Statement of Intent

My film will start out with a the boy playing football in a field(?) and then being approached by a scout who offers him a big opportunity after watching him play – staying outside after the session. My two film posters would feature the protagonist before the big disruption in the story, being excited about the offer he’s just received, and then the climax, with the protagonist crying in an office(?) about how his career is declining with someone else trying to comfort him. The pathos should be significant here, with a lot of sympathy for the protagonist coming into effect. The type of audience which would consume this product is one of young people, typically males, who resonate with football and often dream about growing up to be a footballer themselves. The type of institution who would release this kind of film would probably be a mainstream one, with perhaps ties to sports clothing/ a sports brand or even with relations to football games.

Todorov

Tztevan Todorov proposed the idea of a Tripartite narrative structure, which breaks down narrative structures into having a beginning, middle and end. He describes these as Equilibrium, Disruption and New Equilibrium.

Equilibrium – State of calmness, things are okay.

Disruption – When something drastic occurs and the protagonist has to reroute his actions in order to solve it.

New Equilibrium – The new state after the disruption has been solved.

Unreliable Narration – Deliberately deceiving audiences and providing plots that reveal unexpected moments.

Frame Stories – Stories told inside of other stories, testing the narrative structure by presenting nested moments of equilibrium and new equilibrium.

Multiperspective narratives – Using viewpoints of different characters and perspectives in a story, and so presenting equilibrium as disruption in another person’s eyes.

Vladimir Propp

Propp’s work suggests that stories use STOCK CHARACTERS to structure stories. This doesn’t mean that the characters are the sae every time, but all stories draw on familiar characters performing similar functions to provide familiar narrative structures. This is important because it means that the products created become reactionary, and sales are more guaranteed in a “risky business” such as the media and creative industry. Examples of stock characters are:

  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero

Often there is a villain who has done something to a victim. This means that we need a hero, who (often) accompanied by a helper is sent out (by a dispatcher) to fight the villain. The dispatcher or similar donor (such as a father figure) prepares the hero in his ‘quest‘ and gives the hero some magical object. The hero generally meets the princess as part of his quest / journey which usually provides a happy ending. During the narrative we (and the princess) may be presented by a false hero.

Paul Gilroy – Cultural colonialism

After the world wars, the widespread British Empire was not sustainable anymore and so many people all over the world were taken back to Britain. This led to racial tension as many people of different skin colours, races and origins were gathered all in one place. Paul Gilroy talks about this and he argues that the British are undergoing a crisis of national identity. This was to do with the loss of the empire, and so the “British” culture shifted to a point where no-one knew what the true, legitimate ideas to believe were. There was increased tension because of the fact that the British people were bitter and angry after the loss of their empire and dominant position in the world, and so violence an conflict in these times was inevitable. Gilroy says that the people in Britain who came from different areas all over the world are living, physical reminders of the great power Britain once had. This is referred to as postcolonial melancholia.

Claude Levi-Strauss

Levi-Strauss was one of the first to bring forward and discuss the theory of Binary opposition. Binary means 2 different, opposing and contrasting things that can be used for comparison. This theory suggests that narratives (=myths) are structured around binary options.

Binary Opposites in Ghost Town

Opposition 1Strongly AgreeAgreeNeutralAgreeStrongly AgreeOpposition 2
Black.White
Employed.Unemployed
In control.No control
Upbeat.Lowbeat
Peaceful.Chaotic
Buzzing.Derelict
NEA, Production

moving image nea

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  1. Chronological-the order in which the events occurred, from first to last
  2. Sequential– series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit
  3. Circular structure– story ends the same as how it began
  4. Time based– is to watch it unfold over time according to the temporal logic of the medium as it is played back.
  5. Narrative arc–  the story a film follows along including a dramatic arc somewhere to draw attention from the audience
  6. Freytag’s Pyramid– the structure outlining events in a story
  7. exposition- a comprehensive description of an event, story or idea.
  8. inciting incident,
  9. rising action,
  10. climax-  everything that the plot leads up to
  11. falling action– what happens after the climax and the plot/action calms down
  12. resolution
  13. denouement 
  14. Beginning / middle / end– the idea that every storyline is split into three components
  15. Equilibrium
  16. Disruption
  17. New equilibrium
  18. Peripeteia– change in fortune
  19. Anagnoresis– dramatic revelation
  20. Catharsis–  the idea that we are freed by consuming something
  21. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  22. flashback / flash forward
  23. Foreshadowing– the idea of hinting towards events further on in the storyline
  24. Ellipsis– a jump/missing out certain events in films.
  25. Pathos
  26. Empathy
  27. diegetic / non-diegetic
  28. slow motion

Physical Internal Structures:

Technical equipment (lighting, sound), actors, set, camera crew, software, writers, props, special effects, director, editors and costume designers

Theoretical Internal Structures:

Storyline, performance, generating emotions, events, characters, themes, genre, antagonist/ protagonist, linear/circular, start middle and end, time based, chronological, sequential and freytag pyramid.

Synopsis– A girl goes missing on a night out, her family and friends are all worried about her and file a missing police report. We are shown the trauma they go through. 2 years later her dead body is found, her ‘ghost’ haunts her family and friends. They then discover the body was not her. A group of her friends form together to be detectives and figure out that the ‘ghost’ was actually her asking them for help. They go on a quest to find her and end up finding her however she is very mentally damaged.

Todorov– presents a three part structure (beginning,middle,end)

Equilibrium

Disruption

New equilibrium

  • the stage of equilibrium
  • the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium
  • the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
  • the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium
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Blinded by the lights notes

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  • Made by Levantine Films; Ingenious; Bend It Films; Cornerstone Films
  • low budgeted (15mil).
  • grossed $18.1 million
  • songs by American pop star Bruce Springsteen
  • use of traditional marketing and distribution techniques to advertise such as trailers, posters, film festivals, etc
  • distributed by entertainment one
  • David Hesmondhalgh says; “All business is risky, but the cultural industries constitute a particularly risky business” 
  • based on the ‘true story’ of a Pakistani boy growing up in the UK in the 1980s
  • ‘Bend It Films’ is a UK-based, indie production company owned by major US conglomerate ‘Warner Brothers’. Bend It Films developed the film with support from Levantine Films and Ingenious Media linking to the fact that major companies need new ideas and concepts, provided by the independent companies they own whilst independent companies need major companies to fuel distribution and exhibition because these major companies have the right to use streaming platforms to display their productions.
  • By using Bruce Springsteen’s music they are attracting a whole demographic of older people who enjoy his music
  • Social media was used a lot to advertise the film which has a massive amount of users and is also free.
  • The film is regulated by BBFC
parters of bend it films
Moving Image, NEA, Production, Theory

moving image nea

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  1. Linear- where events are largely portrayed in a chronological order
  2. Chronological- the order in which the events occurred, from first to last
  3. Sequential- a series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit
  4. Circular structure- the story ends where it began
  5. Time based-  is to watch it unfold over time according to the temporal logic of the medium as it is played back.
  6. Narrative arc-
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid
  8. exposition,
  9. inciting incident,
  10. rising action,
  11. climax,
  12. falling action,
  13. resolution,
  14. denouement 
  15. Beginning / middle / end
  16. Equilibrium
  17. Disruption
  18. New equilibrium
  19. Peripeteia
  20. Anagnoresis
  21. Catharsis
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  23. flashback / flash forward
  24. Foreshadowing
  25. Ellipsis
  26. Pathos
  27. Empathy
  28. diegetic / non-diegetic
  29. slow motion

Peripeteia– change in fortune

when javids dad ripped up his concert tickets

Anagnoresis– dramatic revelation

listening to bruce springstein for the first time

Catharsis– an emotional release

when he went to America

Synopsis–

There will be adventure to save the world and to save the world we must find the magic stone (stone of medeis) which is hidden in the forest. Ursuline took the stone for her own power but it must be restored by violet but obstacles lead her off track. The dark forest keeps a witch as its protector (Sabrina) and will manipulate violet into going to the dark side but violet must resist.

–

Todorov and Freytag–

Todorov was appointed to his post as a director of research at the French Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique in 1968.

 Freytag’s Pyramid exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement as illustrated below.

  • the stage of equilibrium
  • the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium
  • the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
  • the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium
  • Equilibrium
  • Disruption
  • New equilibrium

flexi narratives- long format television products deploy multiple three act structures in a similar pattern to be used as a master plot.

plot and sublots- media constructed by an overarching master plot accompanied by a series of subplots.

anachronic devices- subvert traditional linear storytelling techniques through time bending.

Vladimir propp:

  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero
  1. PREPARATION
  2. COMPLICATION
  3. TRANSFERENCE
  4. STRUGGLE
  5. RETURN
  6. RECOGNITION

Propp suggests that stories use STOCK CHARACTERS to structure stories. 

-narrative functions-

NEA

MOVING IMAGE NEA

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Things you need to create a film:

  • Camera
  • Microphone
  • Actors
  • Directors
  • Film set
  • Crew
  • Story
  • SFX
  • Money
  • Producer
  • Camera men
  • Script
  • Props

Notes:

  • Generally films are a straight line because they are chronological
  • Most moving image products are linear
  • Most films are sequential
  • Flashbacks/flashforwards can occur during films
  • Peripeteia – change in fortune
  • Anagnorisis – a dramatic revelation
  • Catharsis – idea that we ae freed by consuming something

Todorov:

  • Tzvetan Todorov was a Bulgarian-French historian, philosopher, structuralist literary critic, sociologist and essayist. He was the author of many books and essays, which have had a significant influence in anthropology, sociology, semiotics, literary theory, intellectual history and culture theory.
  • Todorov’s theory: there are 5 stages that a character will go through; those are Equilibrium, Disruption, Recognition Repair the Damage and Equilibrium Again
  • Todorov studied classic fairy tales and stories. He discovered that narratives moved forward in a chronological order with one action following after another. In other words, they have a clear beginning, middle and end.
  • Born: March 1, 1939
  • Died: February 7, 2017
  • Equilibrium: the story constructs a stable world at the outset of the narrative. Key characters are presented as part of that stability
  • Disruption: Oppositional forces – the actions of a villain, perhaps, or some kind of calamity – destabilise the story’s equilibrium. Lead protagonists attempt to repair the disruption caused.
  • Frame stories: stories told inside of stories, testing Todorov’s ideal narrative structure through the presentation of nested moments of equilibrium and disequilibrium.

Vladimir Propp:

  • Vladimir Propp was a Soviet folklorist and scholar who analysed the basic structural elements of Russian folk tales to identify their simplest irreducible structural units.
  • Vladimir Propp suggests that stories use stock characters to structure stories.
  • Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story.
  • These are Propp’s 8 character types:
    • Hero
    • Villian
    • Victim
    • Helper
    • Princess
    • Dispatcher
    • Father
    • False hero
Moving Image, NEA, Notes

MOVING IMAGE NEA

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  1. Linear – progressing from one stage to another, one after the other, sequentially
  2. Chronological – Events following the true order in which they happened
  3. Sequential – One after the other
  4. Circular structure – The story ends where the film begins.
  5. Time based –
  6. Narrative arc – the story a film follows along with a dramatic arc within it somewhere to keep viewers attention.
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid
  8. exposition – a comprehensive description of an event, story or idea.
  9. inciting incident – the event that sends the main character/characters on the mission/adventure.
  10. rising action – the bulk of the plot that ends at the end of the story/film.
  11. climax – everything that the plot leads up to.
  12. falling action – what happens after the climax and the plot/action calms down.
  13. resolution – a firm decision to do or not to do something.
  14. denouement – context and resolution to a major theme, relationship or event in a story.
  15. Beginning / middle / end – Different stages of a story.
  16. Equilibrium – One of the stages in the story where it is explained about the condition that happens with a character.
  17. Disruption –
  18. New equilibrium – The beginning of the film where the characters life is normal.
  19. Peripeteia – A shift of good to bad in a characters life.
  20. Anagnorisis –  A moment of recognition or revelation in a story.
  21. Catharsis – Releasing strong emotions which leads to a realisation.
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  23. flashback / flash forward
  24. Foreshadowing – hinting towards a future event within the film
  25. Ellipsis – a jump/missing out certain events in films.
  26. Pathos – Getting the audience emotional due to something happening within the film or show, main emotions being pity and sadness.
  27. Empathy –  The ability to sense other people’s emotions and to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.
  28. diegetic / non-diegetic – Things that emanates from the story world of the film, non-diegetic being things occur outside of the story line.
  29. slow motion – Slowing down the video playing so that the watcher can take in certain info or focus on certain aspects of the film.

Synopsis and statement of intent:

A British agent who thinks his father was lost at war investigates his fathers files and he never finds ever solid evidence, at long last he finds the last mission his father went on, “investigating and going undercover within a Nazi agency”, his son decides to go to the Nazi agency and try figure more about his father before his death. However when he’s in the agency people catch on that he seems to have incorrect German and is sneaking away without reason. But at very last, he finds out that his father…

Within my film I’m going to have a hero (being the main character who is looking for his father), a villain (being a Nazi operator catching onto the hero’s lies) and a victim, being a love interest of the main character being hurt by the villain. With the major plot discovery being a heartbreak for the hero I want the audience to feel attached and emotional for the main character, otherwise known as pathos. I intend the film to be for ages 15 and upwards due to the emotional and violent film, it would be a major film developed on a large budget by Warner Brothers and the poster would be a half and half, blue light vs red light (good vs evil) back to back displaying multiple characters along with a large title of the film, this way the viewers are intrigued to find out who the characters in the poster are. I will be taking photographs of myself with an army based uniform on, a pretend gun and standing tall to show the main character to be bold and brave, whereas the villain will be arms crossed and an angry friend.

My film is similar to the James Bond 007 films, marvels captain America and red notice. However the film takes place within WW2 which is like Captain America but it focuses on a real life undercover not a fictional sub-division working on technology that uses a all powerful stone. Its like 007 but the star isn’t a standalone character going after a baddy because its his job and picks up woman along the way, its a young soldier looking for his family by fighting the war.

Todorov:

  • Equilibrium – meaning normality and peace. (The beginning)
  • Disruption – The climax of the story causing normality to fade and a problem arising, within this section of the film the problem is solved by the main characters. (The middle)
  • New equilibrium – after the Disruption has been dealt with, everything is back normality and peace. (The End)
  • Todorov believes stories are always linear, following his idea of equilibrium, disruption and new equilibrium.
  • It is normal for media companies to have multiple equilibriums and disruptions.
  • Media companies tend to understand that viewers might have a low attention rate/boredom threshold so they propel immediate disruption to hook the viewers attention.
  • Devices like anachronic devices are like flash backs or peaks into the future so the viewer has context.
  • In TV shows and shows in general, the idea of Todorovs acts are either played out across one episode, a couple episodes or the whole season.

Vladamir Propp

  • Vladimir Propp believed in the idea that there is 8 different types of character, these 8 characters are,
  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero
  • Most of the time these characters co-inside, with the Villain doing something to the victim and the hero having to fix it or make it correct.
  • However the characters don’t have to stick to their role and a role can be multiple characters, this is called a sphere of action. The different spheres of action can be divided into 6 sections, these sections being,
  1. PREPARATION
  2. COMPLICATION
  3. TRANSFERENCE
  4. STRUGGLE
  5. RETURN
  6. RECOGNITION

NEA, Theory

Internal structure analysis

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Keywords

  1. Linear– progressing from one stage to another in a single series of steps
  2. Chronological– Following something in the order it happened in
  3. Sequential- Logical order or sequence
  4. Circular structure– A narrative where the start of the story is the end of the story
  5. Time based– Duration as a dimension revealed to the viewer overtime
  6. Narrative arc– The path a story follows
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid– Structure outlining events in a story
  8. Exposition– Background information within a story line
  9. Inciting incident-
  10. Rising action–
  11. Climax–
  12. Falling action–
  13. Resolution–
  14. Denouement–
  15. Beginning / middle / end–
  16. Equilibrium–
  17. Disruption
  18. New equilibrium
  19. Peripeteia
  20. Anagnorisis
  21. Catharsis
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  23. Flashback / flash forward
  24. Foreshadowing
  25. Ellipsis
  26. Pathos
  27. Empathy
  28. Diegetic / non-diegetic
  29. Slow motion

Physical

What is needed to make a film?

  • Actors
  • Camera
  • Microphone
  • Costumes
  • Director
  • Sound/Music
  • Money
  • Editing Software
  • Editor
  • Props
  • Screenwriter
  • Camera Man
  • Script/Story
  • Lighting

Conceptual

Narrative Structures

  • Straight line- Chronological (In order of time)
  • Linear
  • Sequential
  • Flashbacks/flashforwards
  • Ellipsis- Skip parts of time
  • Parallel

Gustaf Freytag’s Pyramid

150 years ago came up with a pyramid

  • The start- Exposition
  • The middle- Climax
  • The end- Denouement

Todorov:

Says that a moving image has 3 parts to its structure (Beginning/Middle/End)-

  • Equilibrium: Everything is normal at the start
  • Disruption: Something happens that changes this and is usually the main part of the story
  • New equilibrium: The disruption is resolved and everything goes back to a new normal
  • Flexi-Narrative: Long form tv products deploy multiple 3 act structures in a similar pattern
  • Multiple equilibrium sequences: Rollercoaster effects for audiences by deploying multiple disruption sequences

Vladimir Propp:

Suggests that stories use Stock Characters to structure stories: which are-

  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero

Spheres of Action:

One character can occupy a number of roles/’Spheres of action’ and one role may be played by a number of different characters. Propp says that there are 31 different functions that play an important role in organising plots.

These can be divided into these sections (Narratemes- Starting points of most stories):

  1. PREPARATION
  2. COMPLICATION
  3. TRANSFERENCE
  4. STRUGGLE
  5. RETURN
  6. RECOGNITION

Propp suggested that stories don’t have to use all the characters listed, though most are organised around the interplay of the hero, villain and princess archetypes.

Claude Levi Strauss- Binary Oppositions

Suggests that narratives are structured around binary oppositions which helps people understand key themes that underline important messages. For example, Male/Female, Good/Bad, Poor/Rich etc. This allows people to make judgements on characters, settings, history, society etc.

Semantic Differential


CONCEPT		Strongly
agree		AgreeNeutralAgreeStrongly
agree		OPPOSITE
CONCEPT
YOUNG✓OLD
MATURE✓CHILDISH
FEMALE✓MALE
STRAIGHT✓GAY
WHITE✓BLACK
URBAN✓REGIONAL
POOR✓RICH
EDUCATED✓STUPID
CRITICAL OF GOVERNMENT✓SUPPORTING OF GOVERNMENT

Seymour Chatman

  • Kernels- key moments in the plot/narrative structure: essential to the plot, movie wouldn’t work without it
  • Satellites- Embellishments, developments, aesthetics: plot wouldn’t change if this was different. Aesthetic would change slightly but not by much.

Roland Barthes

  • Proairetic codes- action, movement, doing things
  • Hermeneutic codes- Reflection, dialogue, character development
  • Enigmas- not telling the audience everything in the movie, intrigues people, ideas are raised